Spirituality and power in the local church

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Spirituality and power in the local church

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Title: Spirituality and power in the local church

Author: Kevin L. Powell

Thesis Advisor: C. Kevin Gillespie

Committee Member: David C. Newton

Degree Granting Institution: Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences

Place: Baltimore (Md.)

Publisher: Loyola University Maryland

Date Created: 2007

Type of Resource: text

Genre: thesis

Language: eng

Format: application/pdf

Physical Form: electronic

Digital Source: reformatted digital

Abstract: This thesis postulated that a congregation possesses a unique spirituality which remains intact until addressed directly by a human prophetic voice under the guidance of Christ. The prophetic voice is normally the pastor of the congregation who is sent to assist the congregation in living out its purpose. The thesis asserted although individual members of a congregation will come and go over the years, the spirituality of a congregation remains intact until it is transformed. During the transformation process, the spirituality of a congregation can be greatly diminished or enhanced by a pastor's spirituality and use of power. Major resources for this thesis included Boers (1999), Wink (1986) and Freidman (1985) whose works served to define the underlying concepts discussed in the thesis related to the behavior of organizations and individuals. Major conclusions were: (1) A pastor must possess and maintain a healthy spirituality prior to attempting to change the spirituality of a congregation, (2) Power can be used in both positive and negative ways, and (3) The removal of specific individuals from the congregation should be avoided as a means of implementing change. The thesis was essentially a literature review and thus was limited in that it was not scientific. Future research would include interviews with former or current pastors who were, or are, involved in changing the spirituality of a congregation as well as additional review of literature on the phenomenon of loss and replacement in the leadership of a congregation.

Subject: Christian leadership

Subject: Parishes--Spirituality

Subject: Pastoral theology

Subject: Clergy--Religious life

Degree: Master of Arts

Level: Master

Discipline: Pastoral Counseling

Restrictions on Access: Author has given permission to make this work available online to Loyola Notre Dame Library basic constituency.

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Identifier: PowellKL-07

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